egafd.com

Sorry, Bob. Gmail is considered one the the best webmail clients out there for blocking spam. There are numerous articles on tech sites that advise people who don't even want to use Gmail to have all their mail filtered through it and forwarded to their real account so as to cut out the crap.

I have two Gmail accounts and have had these for around 5-6 years. My main account who I only give out to friends and verified vendors like Amazon, Acado, my banks and services like BT/T-Mobile/Sky etc, I get about 3-6 spam emails a month with maybe 1 a month getting through into my inbox. On my other account that I use to sign in to forums and which I give out to people I've not met personally, I get about 5-10 a day where I'll only get 1 or 2 of those find their way into my inbox per month. I've had around 3 false positives on both accounts since the day I opened them. That is impressive. If you're having so much problem with spam via gmail you'r either exaggerating or you've given your personal account details to some shady Russian who then sold your details to every spam-bot developer in his contacts list. For future reference: you get spam - you mark it as spam - you never see that spam again. Easy.

[quote]As for touch screens, I last used some yesterday (an iPad2, a Samsung Galaxy something or other and the BB tablet, whatever that's called)... they are the work of the devil, and not for me.[/quote]

Since millions use them without issues have you considered where the fault in this little relationship may lie?

[quote]I'm not a Ludite in any way, I just don't happen to like touch screens and I especially don't like the idea that one object can be a phone, a computer a camera, a music player etc... there's more than a hint of truth in the old saying jack of all trades; master of none.[/quote]

That's great. I don't expect, or want you to change your feelings over a particular product but your 'scoring' wasn't very objective then, was it? It's a good job I'm around to put things right! I've no idea why you don't like devices that multi-function. You wrote out your reply to me on one after all. That is unless there is some unknown typewriter you hooked up to the world wide web.

[quote]If I want to carry a small camera for snaps, then the Canon PowerShot S100 does me.[/quote]

That's because you haven't got a phone with a decent camera!

[quote]If I want to listen to music I have my iPod.[/quote]

The iPhone is really an iPod with a bigger screen and a radio antenna.

[quote]If I want to make a phone call I have my BB.[/quote]

Which is a multi-function device. Why would you need a BB if you only view your email on your laptop? Wouldn't a 10 year old Nokia suffice?

[quote]I know countless people (mostly girls who are either dancers and/or models) who when they lose their phone are completely lost. Apart from no longer being able to contact them by phone, you can't contact them by email either (oh, I don't have a computer, I use my phone for email), and they are distraught at not only losing all their contacts, but their music, their memories... everything! Talk about putting all your eggs in one basket.[/quote]

Then you can be a good Samaritan and forward my post about how getting an Android phone makes sure all your emails, contacts, calendar events, texts, bookmarks and passwords are backed up on Google's servers automatically. If they upload their pics to a private album in facebook then they'll not lose them either (Google can have your pics automatically synced with a Picassa account but I think Picassa is a little shit so wouldn't recommend it). Can your Canon Powershot S100 automatically upload your pics to facebook/flickr/picassa, out of interest?

[quote]I'll know never to ask you to tighten a screw as you'd probably use a hammer![/quote]

Nah. I'd just google 'how to screw properly' on my phone! I'd get a little video clip showing me how the do it and everything! !tongueincheek!

Well they seem like an important work tool to all of you guys,but i have worked with people who are nearly half my age who do not use them for work purposes, and these phones are a big distraction and a concern for any employer as far as i can see,do you employ people with them and is it a problem.

Sam Slater wrote:

> Sorry, Bob. Gmail is considered one the the best webmail
> clients out there for blocking spam. There are numerous
> articles on tech sites that advise people who don't even want
> to use Gmail to have all their mail filtered through it and
> forwarded to their real account so as to cut out the crap.
>
> I have two Gmail accounts and have had these for around 5-6
> years. My main account who I only give out to friends and
> verified vendors like Amazon, Acado, my banks and services like
> BT/T-Mobile/Sky etc, I get about 3-6 spam emails a month with
> maybe 1 a month getting through into my inbox. On my other
> account that I use to sign in to forums and which I give out to
> people I've not met personally, I get about 5-10 a day where
> I'll only get 1 or 2 of those find their way into my inbox per
> month. I've had around 3 false positives on both accounts since
> the day I opened them. That is impressive. If you're having so
> much problem with spam via gmail you'r either exaggerating or
> you've given your personal account details to some shady
> Russian who then sold your details to every spam-bot developer
> in his contacts list. For future reference: you get spam - you
> mark it as spam - you never see that spam again. Easy.

I get tons of spam from gmail accounts. It may be good at filtering spam coming in but it creates enormous amounts of it in the first place. And yes I know how to use spam filters. Unfortunately the spam filter I'd really like to use (filtering out anything that ends with @hotmail.com or @hotmail.co.uk or at gmail.com etc., etc) means that many of my customers would no longer be able to contact me. In fact I would say that about 20% of the spam I receive are (unknowingly) from my customers. Just a few minutes ago one customer sent me (and 67 other people in his address book) the following message:

http://slimdata.com.br/hotclass/stylie.html


That's it. Nothing else. His address ends in @gmail.com Are you suggesting I should block him? Oh, and he is aware of the spam that's being sent out in his name... he's tried contacting gmail but never gets a reply from them. That's the level of customer service you can expect when you get something for "free"



>
> [quote]As for touch screens, I last used some yesterday (an
> iPad2, a Samsung Galaxy something or other and the BB tablet,
> whatever that's called)... they are the work of the devil, and
> not for me.[/quote]
>
> Since millions use them without issues have you considered
> where the fault in this little relationship may lie?

There is no "fault". I like the feel of a keyboard. If others can manage with touch screens that fine for them... but it's NOT for me!


> I've no idea why you don't like devices that
> multi-function. You wrote out your reply to me on one after
> all. That is unless there is some unknown typewriter you hooked
> up to the world wide web.

it not so much multi-function devices per se, it's CRAP multi-function devices. My iMac is a great multi-function device which allows me to write, edit photos etc. However, as far as I'm concerned, a phone is a phone and the longer phones remain just phones the better.


>
> [quote]If I want to carry a small camera for snaps, then the
> Canon PowerShot S100 does me.[/quote]
>
> That's because you haven't got a phone with a decent camera!


There is no such thing as a phone with a decent camera. When Nikon add a phone to a D3s then maybe I might concede your argument


>
> [quote]If I want to listen to music I have my iPod.[/quote]
>
> The iPhone is really an iPod with a bigger screen and a radio
> antenna.
>
> [quote]If I want to make a phone call I have my BB.[/quote]
>
> Which is a multi-function device. Why would you need a BB if
> you only view your email on your laptop? Wouldn't a 10 year old
> Nokia suffice?

No a 10 year old Nokia wouldn't suffice as 10 year old Nokia's don't "talk" to Macs, so I couldn't back up my list of contacts. I have a BB because, as I said earlier (had you bothered to read it) I have over 2000 business contacts to store and few phones are capable of storing so many contacts with diverse information about them that also have a proper keyboard!


>
> [quote]I know countless people (mostly girls who are either
> dancers and/or models) who when they lose their phone are
> completely lost. Apart from no longer being able to contact
> them by phone, you can't contact them by email either (oh, I
> don't have a computer, I use my phone for email), and they are
> distraught at not only losing all their contacts, but their
> music, their memories... everything! Talk about putting all
> your eggs in one basket.[/quote]
>
> Then you can be a good Samaritan and forward my post about how
> getting an Android phone makes sure all your emails, contacts,
> calendar events, texts, bookmarks and passwords are backed up
> on Google's servers automatically. If they upload their pics to
> a private album in facebook then they'll not lose them either
> (Google can have your pics automatically synced with a Picassa
> account but I think Picassa is a little shit so wouldn't
> recommend it). Can your Canon Powershot S100 automatically
> upload your pics to facebook/flickr/picassa, out of interest?
>


No and I wouldn't want it to either. I want to put all my pics through Aperture first! As for Google... I wouldn't trust them with anything. I'll use them as a search engine, but I wouldn't load any personal things on to their servers.


> [quote]I'll know never to ask you to tighten a screw as you'd
> probably use a hammer![/quote]
>
> Nah. I'd just google 'how to screw properly' on my phone! I'd
> get a little video clip showing me how the do it and
> everything! !tongueincheek!
>


You just seem overly keen to trust big corporations with your personal data and belongings... I don't trust any of the buggers! The more "free" services these people offer you that you sign up for, the more they actually have you by the short and curlies!

Sorry for taking a while in replying. Having run CC Cleaner to rid myself of a persistent driver I deleted all my internet cookies and so every thread on here had the 'new' tag. Anyway...

[quote]I get tons of spam from gmail accounts. It may be good at filtering spam coming in but it creates enormous amounts of it in the first place.[/quote]

Gmail doesn't create spam. Stupid users that use 'password' for their password help spam. If you're getting spam from unknowing contacts the best you can do for them is tell them to run a virus scan and create new, harder passwords.

[quote]Just a few minutes ago one customer sent me (and 67 other people in his address book) the following message:

http://slimdata.com.br/hotclass/stylie.html


That's it. Nothing else. His address ends in @gmail.com Are you suggesting I should block him?[/quote]

As I say, he should run a virus scan and change his passwords. And you don't have to block him completely just because you're using gmail. You can set up filters to be as specific or broad as you like. For instance, I can set a filter that lets any email come through from bobsingleton@luddite.com but filters out any email from Bob that contain the words 'viagra' or 'penis'. I can filter email by name, domain, attachment, subject or select words. If 'penis' is too broad I could set up a filter that lets through 'penis' and 'enlargement' but not if 'penis' and 'enlargement' come within the same email. If you know what you're doing you won't have a problem with spam. You don't have to fully block anyone and you can set these filters to send suspected spam to a separate spam box to keep it away from the more obvious spam so you can keep a closer eye on it just incase your friend really did send you a genuine email that happened to mention 'penis' and 'enlargement' together.

[quote]There is no "fault". I like the feel of a keyboard. If others can manage with touch screens that fine for them... but it's NOT for me![/quote]

My chagrin wasn't with your personal preferences but your comparison and rating system. If your opinion on the iPhone vs Blackberry wasn't meant to come across as an objective comparison then you should have been clearer. I'm sure I've already pointed this out.

[quote]it not so much multi-function devices per se, it's CRAP multi-function devices.[/quote]

Well I'm glad you clarified that and I agree with you totally. I just disagree that an iPhone is a 'crap multifunctional device'. I mean, it's not the best as I prefer Android but it's not 'crap'. But you can't put a macbook in your pocket like an Android/iPhone device so you gain some, you lose some.

[quote]There is no such thing as a phone with a decent camera. When Nikon add a phone to a D3s then maybe I might concede your argument[/quote]

For most people an iPhone 4 camera is 'decent' enough for their needs. As I said in my last post, you're looking at this through a photographer's eyes. There's isn't much difference between a pic took on a modern smartphone and a pocket point & shoot camera...........and you're less likely to forget your phone. What's that photographer's adage about the best camera being the one you have on you at the time?

[quote]No a 10 year old Nokia wouldn't suffice as 10 year old Nokia's don't "talk" to Macs, so I couldn't back up my list of contacts. I have a BB because, as I said earlier (had you bothered to read it) I have over 2000 business contacts to store and few phones are capable of storing so many contacts with diverse information about them that also have a proper keyboard![/quote]

You win this one. Still, if you learnt to use a touchscreen properly..................!wink!

[quote]>
> Then you can be a good Samaritan and forward my post about how
> getting an Android phone makes sure all your emails, contacts,
> calendar events, texts, bookmarks and passwords are backed up
> on Google's servers automatically. If they upload their pics to
> a private album in facebook then they'll not lose them either
> (Google can have your pics automatically synced with a Picassa
> account but I think Picassa is a little shit so wouldn't
> recommend it). Can your Canon Powershot S100 automatically
> upload your pics to facebook/flickr/picassa, out of interest?
>


No and I wouldn't want it to either. I want to put all my pics through Aperture first![/quote]

Wait a minute. My point you're replying to was a retort to people putting all their eggs in one basket (models and their phones) and then being up shit-creek without a paddle when they lose their phones. My point being at least with a phone you can automatically sync all your contacts/pics/emails/music/texts online. So me asking whether your Canon Powershot can do this was to show you're putting your pictures at a greater risk using a standard point & shoot than you would using a smartphone that can auto upload to servers. Your reply is 'I wouldn't want to! (back up my pics online). This contradicts your main argument about putting all of one's eggs in a single basket! Make your mind up, Bob.

[quote]As for Google... I wouldn't trust them with anything. I'll use them as a search engine, but I wouldn't load any personal things on to their servers.[/quote]

I don't see the problem. Your ISP and mobile phone operator have much more information than Google can acquire - or at least as much as. And RIM have lots of information on you, don't they? People put much more faith in social networks like Facebook than Google and given the choice I choose Google much more. Google make their money from people using the web (because everyone uses Google search). They want eyeballs seeing Google ads. That's fair enough. I have much to gain from using their products and little to lose if they know about me searching for 'panto tickets' to take my niece and nephew to see Dick Whittington over Xmas. I can live with that.

[quote]You just seem overly keen to trust big corporations with your personal data and belongings... I don't trust any of the buggers! The more "free" services these people offer you that you sign up for, the more they actually have you by the short and curlies![/quote]

Then you'll be switching off your RIM device, cancelling your contract with your ISP and cutting off your BT/Virgin phone line too, eh? You'll definitely not be watching Spurs v Chelsea game on SKY later!

Like it or not, Bob, there are so many hands already tugging at our curlies that I don't feel the pain anymore. As long as one of those hands gives me a tug now and again...................well......